Theater

Jonathan Katz stars as standup comedian Jackie Shore in the new movie Things Change, which was written by his friend David Mamet. Katz played a con man in the earlier Mamet movie House of Games, which Katz says was loosely based on their experience as small-time ping pong hustlers.

Stephen Schiff says that director Leonard Nimoy's adaptation of Sue Miller's novel is lifeless, but Diane Keaton's performance might justify the cost of a ticket.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the updated version of the 1960s spy show. He says it's a fun watch, especially seeing the updated technology, but he can't help but notice a few careless gaffes in the script.

Director Ken Russell's new movie, Lair of the White Worm, updates a minor Bram Stoker novel of the same name for the 1980s. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the movie's acting and effects are silly and over-the-top. That's all part of the charm.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews an all-star recording of Stravinsky's jazz-inspired theater piece, which features Sting, Ian McKellen, and Vanessa Redgrave.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews several shows from the upcoming television season.

Critic Ken Tucker reviews Alysssa Milano's exercise video Teen Steam, which is geared toward teenage girls; adults caught watching it can't help feeling faintly unclean, he says. He also recommends new releases of Withnail and I and Rambo III.

The director trades comedy for drama in his latest movie. Film critic Stephen Schiff says the story explores the tired, false dichotomy of thinking versus feeling; and the dialogue leaves much to be desired.

Clint Eastwood's biopic Bird delves deep into the personal life and legend of Charlie Parker. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the story fails to connect these often tumultuous moments with the genius of Parker's music.

Critic-at-large Laurie Stone recently saw the Dian Fossey biopic. She praises the film's power and compassion, fueled in large part by star Sigourney Weaver's outstanding performance.

Film critic Stephen Schiff bemoans Hollywood's current preoccupation with courtroom dramas -- most, he says, aren't very good. The new Jodi Foster movie The Accused, loosely based on a high-profile gang rape trial, leans too heavily on the lurid details of the case, and not enough on developing an interesting narrative.

Korder's play, about a television journalist, is being adapted into a TV movie for HBO. He talks about his frustration with the static nature of television writing, and what it takes to craft great dialogue.

Critic Ken Tucker reviews the home video release of Quartet, which features four adaptations of Somerset Maugham's works by four different directors. Maugham himself introduces the film. Tucker appreciates the movie's older, romantic style. He also recommends Broadcast News, Frantic, and A Roman Holiday.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says the new biopic about the late zoologist, Gorillas in the Mist, is malarkey, with a script that shies away from the most compelling parts of Fossey's story. But star Sigourney Weaver shines.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz never saw She Loves Me on Broadway, but recently discovered the reissued original cast recording. He says the musical has the feel of classic operetta, and succeeds at everything it sets out to do.

Hwang's celebrated play dealt with Western ideas of women and Asian culture. His newest work is a musical about alien abductions called 1000 Airplanes on the Roof. Philip Glass composed the music.

Film critic Stephen Schiff says some viewers can't get past the graphic violence in David Cronenberg's movies to see the craft beneath. Now they have a chance with Dead Ringers, about twin gynecologists, both played by Jeremy Irons. The film may be less explicit, but it still features Cronenberg's signature psychological dread.

Joan Micklin Silver's film, set in New York City, is about a single woman in the publishing industry who recruits a matchmaker to find love. Film critic Stephen Schiff says it reminds him of the TV show Moonstruck, but without the motivational message.

A revival of Ain't Misbehavin', featuring the original cast, is now playing on Broadway. Critic-at-large Laurie Stone says she jumped at the chance to see it. Overacting and exaggerated choreography plagued the first act, but the cast showed restraint during the last half.

Eight Men Out, about a 1919 baseball scandal, is directed by John Sayles. Film critic Stephen Schiff says there are some good performances, but the movie is more of a moralistic argument than a story; it could have used some of the wit Sayles injected into his earlier B-movies.